A small carved jade bowl

18th-19th century

The bowl with countersunk base and barbed rim is supported on a short splayed foot. The rounded petal-lobed sides are carved with six petals. The stone is of greyish green tone with areas of speckling.

9.7 cm diameter

Provenance:

Formerly in the collection of Gerard Dissevelt

Gerard Dissevelt (1912-1992) was a Dutch ambassador who was stationed in China and Japan during the 1950s.

The appeal of this finely carved small bowl relies on its beautiful shape and the characteristics of the natural stone. The flower-petal form of this bowl seems to have its origin in the lacquer dishes and bowls of the Song dynasty (960-1279) which have the same shaped rim. An example is in the San Francisco Museum of Art.